slip and ball ...

[revi]

how do you use the slip and ball instrument?

[nearmiss]

The slot and ball instrument is the Slip Indicator. This instrument shows if the aircraft is in coordinated flight or not. When an aircraft is "coordinated", the nose is aligned with the aircraft flight path. When the ball is outside the turn (on the opposite side from the direction of turn), the aircraft is said to be in a skid. When the ball is inside the turn (on the same side of the turn), the plane is said to be in a slip. In either case, the plane may be brought into coordinated flight by "stepping on the ball", that is, applying rudder in the direction that the ball is until it is centered again. In general, an aircraft turns most efficiently when it is in coordinated flight, but there are tactical reasons why a pilot may wish to fly uncoordinated.

As far as targeting enemy aircraft remember your guns have barrels and these barrels are aligned within the aircraft. You can look through your gun site at the enemy and center him in the gunsite, but that doesn't mean your guns are aligned as your aircraft can be in a skid and the guns will not shoot as the gunsight shows, but in the direction where the aircraft is aligned.

[revi]

OK thanks...I've never payed attention to this instrument. Make me wonder if more people use this tool or not.

[robtek]

@nearmiss

"As far as targeting enemy aircraft remember your guns have barrels and these barrels are aligned within the aircraft. You can look through your gun site at the enemy and center him in the gunsite, but that doesn't mean your guns are aligned as your aircraft can be in a skid and the guns will not shoot as the gunsight shows, but in the direction where the aircraft is aligned."

Afaik the guns ARE always aligned with the plane (ok, except for the convergence) but not with the flight-path. So when you shoot in a slip the rounds go where the crosshair points with a minor deviation caused by the slipstream.

[zaelu]

That "minor deviation" was the whole point. Nearmiss didn't said that suddenly they are not aligned anymore with the aircraft but, they are not properly aligned for the shot...

[robtek]

@zaelu

plz read correctly: quote from nearmiss "...the guns will not shoot as the gunsight shows, but in the direction the aircraft is aligned."
As the gunsight is aligned with the aircraft the guns are also, or what??? and the deviation from the slipstream might be a few inches to maybe 1 or 2 feet and that really doesn´t count at those speeds and split-second-timing.